Blessed Stanley Rother was an American priest from Oklahoma assigned to a mission parish in Guatemala in 1968. For over ten years, he ministered faithfully to his poor congregation, and in 1981 his name appeared on a death list of a radical government party targeting priests. Because of the increasing danger, Fr. Stanley went back home to Oklahoma for some time. While he was home, he was restless and eventually decided to go back to Guatemala to protect and encourage his beloved people. And he did this knowing that he would likely be killed. He said, “A Shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger.” Shortly after his return, Fr. Stanley was shot and killed in his mission rectory. He was beatified in 2017 and is the first US-born martyr.
Blessed Stanley had courage under persecution and did not fear men who could only kill his body and not his soul. He had a holy fear of the Lord, dreading that if he didn’t return, he would have turned his back on Christ and abandoned his flock.
My brothers and sisters, we are all not called to be martyrs like Blessed Stanley, but Jesus does command us all to have courage under persecution, never to deny him, and to fear the Lord who will judge us when we die, and not men who can only kill the body but not the soul.
As disciples of Christ, we are often persecuted by the media, our co-workers, our friends, and even our family members. This shouldn’t surprise us because Jesus tells us in the Gospel today (Matt. 10:24-32) that no disciple is above their teacher, meaning if Christ was persecuted, we will be too. And they can come in many forms, such as rejections, judgments, harsh words.
This is a challenging reality, and we are often tempted to keep our faith and opinions silent when we should stand up for the Lord. Jesus reminds us that although people may kill us with their words and actions, they cannot destroy our souls.
So, when we have to give an honest answer, defend the dignity of the human person or be bold in following the moral teachings of the Church, do not be afraid. Have courage under persecution. When you are out at a restaurant, don’t be afraid to be a witness by saying grace and making the sign of the cross before you eat. Have courage under persecution.
Today’s message should shake us up a little bit and make us pause to think. Are we more concerned that we might lose the affection and approval of others or lose our salvation and friendship with God who alone can save? Do we please people or please God? Have we kept silent about something when we should have spoken up?
The antidote to this inner tension is developing Fear of The Lord, which is one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and fears offending or sinning against God and being separated from God, which is what sin does. The Fear of the Lord is rooted in love because God is so good, so holy, and thus we don’t ever want to offend or lose intimate friendship with Him.
Although this is a sobering and challenging message, Jesus is quick to reassure us of God’s fatherly care. He says that we are more valuable in the eyes of God than many sparrows and that he knows us and loves us so intimately that even the hairs on our heads are numbered.
So, my friends, today is an excellent opportunity to ask God for courage under persecution and the gift of Fear of The Lord so that, like Blessed Stanley Rother, we can stand up for Christ, and achieve our salvation which God desires to give us. For we are worth more than many sparrows.